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I recently bought what I think is a small Stuart Cairngorm small bowl, probably a salt? The bowl itself is a peach colour rather than clear, but has the applied green Cairngorm decoration. Incidentally, it is identical to one owned by my aunt left to her by an old lady who died forty years ago. It is 5 3/8" across and stands 2 3/4" high.

Firstly, did Stuart ever do the Cairngorm pattern on a peachy-orange body colour?

Secondly, a really stupid question, and an admission of some particularly stupid behaviour. I was gingerly transporting it to a safe place, but for some reason I had my keys in my hands at the same time. My three year old dashed around the corner, and in nervous reaction I snatched it up high, and my keys clattered on its side. Upon inspecting it, I discovered a small chip and a slight hairline on the applied frill decoration around its waist - and I hadn't checked it properly beforehand. I am not sure whether the chip was my fault with the keys or whether the vendor had missed it! Is it likely that banging with a set of keys (not greatly heavy) could have caused the damage (I suspect it is possible).

How much would the small (2mm) chip and tiny hairline in the frill detract from the value of the piece? Is there anything that I can do to stabilise the crack so that it doesn't spread, or is it possible to have the piece repaired?

As mentioned, my guess is that this is a Stuart and Sons "Cairngorm" piece, probably a salt, 5 3/8" across, 2 3/4" high (ref: http://www.great-glass.co.uk).

Does anyone agree?

Since I can't say whether or not the small chip was there before I received it or not, I guess I have no come back. I don't believe the keys could have done the damage to the piece (certainly I have been over the floor with a fine toothed comb and can't find the missing piece), but then it is impossible to say for sure and would be unfair to the vendor to do anything about it. Next time, I will inspect the piece the second I unpack it. And not unpack it until any unruly children are in bed!

One should have either glass, or toddlers. Never both.

At least the piece is in better condition than my aunt's one. My poor old grandmother's rhuemy fingers have dropped, bumped and chipped it many times. Arthritic grandparents are even worse than toddlers!

Hi Cathy,from pieces illustrated in the books I have on Victorian glass, for all intents & purposes, your piece looks like Stuart.I agree, the pink/peach colour is highly unusual,the documented Stuart ones tend to be clear with green decoration. But it could be an experimental piece or rare variation.Whatever it is, it's lovely!Don't worry too much about the crack, it's an old item, & we all end up showing our age somehow..... :roll:

I've followed Frank's link back and note Bernard's comments which were that many of the Stourbridge companies were using the same styles of trailing, and that such decoration is known to have been made by both Walsh and Stuart, so it's reasonable to assume that it was fairly a common technique. (Have I read Bernard's explanation correctly?)

Well spotted,Cathy! It certainly looks just like yours.The S & W attribution could explain the colour- it just didn't look like a Stuart colour for this type of item....Sorry I can't confirm totally, but it seems likely you've found it...